THE JEWISH NEWS

A Setback for Israel

Incorporating the Detroit Jewish Chronicle commencing with issue of July 20, 1951

Member American Association of English-Jewish Newspapers, Michigan Press Association, National
Editorial Association.
Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publishing Co., 17100 West Seven Mile Road, Detroit 35,
Mich., VE 8-9364. Subscription $5 a year. Foreign $6.
Entered as second class matter Aug. 6, 1942 at Post Offic,, Detroit, Mich.. under act of Congress of March
5, 187:•

PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

Editor and Publisher

SIDNEY SHMARAK CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ

Advertising Manager

Circulation Manager

FRANK SIMONS

City Editor

Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, Shabat Hagadol, the tenth day of Nisan, 5719, the following Scriptural
selections will be read in our synagogues.
Pentateuchal portion, Mezora, Lev. 14:1-15:33. Prophetical portion, Malachi 3:4-24.
Scriptural Selections for Passover
Pentateuchal portions: First day, Thurs day, April 23, Ex. 12:21-51, Num. 28:16-25;
second clay, Friday, April 24, Lev. 22:26-23:44, Num. 28:16-25.
Prophetical sortions: First day, Joshua 3:5-7, 5:2-6:1, 6:27, second day, II Kings 23:1-19,
21-25.

Licht Benshen, Friday, April 17, 6.57 p.m.

VOL. XXXV. No. 7

Page Four

April 17, 1959

The Supreme Degree in Philanthropy

In the current campaign for funds
to assist the unfortunate migrants who
are leaving countries in which they and
their parents had resided for generations,
and who are seeking the final and last-
ing haven, for themselves, their children
and their children's children, in Israel,
it is proper that we should recall the ad-
monitions of one of the greatest savants
in Jewish history, Maimonides (1135-
1244).
Maimonides had set forth a set of rules
for charity. His was the golden ladder
of philanthropy. In it, placing the highest
rung of his ladder first, he advised:

There are eight degrees in charity,
one higher than the other: Supreme
above all is to give assistance to the one
who has fallen on evil times by present-
ting him with a gift or loan, or entering
into a partnership with him, or procur-
ing him work, thereby helping him to
become self-supporting.
Inferior to this is giving charity to
the poor in such a way that the giver
and recipient are unknown to each other.
This is, indeed, the performance of a
commandment from disinterested mo-
tives; and it is exemplified by the Insti-
tution of the Chamber of the Silent
which existed in the Temple, where the
righteous secretly deposited their alms
and the respectable poor were secretly
assisted.
Next in order is the donation to the
charitable fund of the Community, to
which no contribution should be made
without the donors feeling confident
that the administration is honest, pru-
dent and capable of proper management.
Below this degree is the instance
where the donor is aware to whom he is
giving the alms but the recipient is un-
aware from whom he received them; as
e. g. the great Sages who used to go
about secretly throwing money through
the doors of the poor. This is quite a
proper course to adopt and a great vir-

tue where the administrators of a chari-
table fund are not acting fairly.
Inferior to this degree is the case
where the recipient knows the identity
of the donor, but not vice versa; as e. g.
the great Sages who used to tie sums of
money in linen bundles and throw -them
behind their backs for poor men to pick
up, so that they should not feel shame.
The next four degrees in their order
are: the man who gives money to the
poor before he is asked; the man who Interpretation of Judaism
gives money to the poor after he is
asked; the man who gives less than he
should, but does it with good grace;
and lastly, he who gives grudgingly.

In the midst of our efforts for the
1959 Allied Jewish Champaign, it is well
that we should study these rules, and,
having reached the bottom of the ladder,
that we climb back again to the top rung
and take heed of the highest principle
of all-----the eighth rule which teaches us
that the most meritorious act for mankind
is to anticipate charity and want by pre-
venting it. To prevent suffering we must
make it possible for those whom we have
set out to help to acquire a position of
helping themselves, to earn their own
livelihood, to obtain economic independ-
ence, to become self-supporting. •
This is what the United Jewish Appeal
—the major beneficiary of the Allied
Jewish Campaign, has set out to do. It
does not hand out charity: it makes it pos-
sible for the expatriated Jews to settle
in a land they are to calL their own, to
acquire homes there, to enter into pro-
ductive pursuits and to become seuf-sus-
taining.
Assistance to the causes we now are
campaigning for means the reaching of
the highest rung on the golden ladder of
true philanthropy. May we all learn the
meaning of the Maimonides lessons so
that the supreme degree of help for our
fellow-men may be attained by all of us,
and so that this principle shall be perpe-
tuated in Jewry.

Passover: Principles of Festival of Freedom

On the eve of the great festival of
Passover, which we are to usher in with
the first Seder on Wednesday evening,
it is heartening to witness the holiday
spirit that exists in Jewish ranks. Espe-
cially inspiring is the interest that is
shown by the children in the festival's
celebration.
Passover is, in great measure, a holi-
day for youth. It is the youngest who
virtually opens the Seder ceremony with
his initial questions regarding the eve-
ning's significance. The youth joins in
the Seder singing, in reading the Hag-
gadah, in the evening's recitations and
songs.
*
*
Thus, Passover shows the way towards
fusing young and old in the observance
of our festivals. Perhaps the manner of
the Passover observance and the exten-
sive way in which it embraces all mem-
bers of the family shows the way to
increased interest by larger groups in
all Jewish ceremonials and holidays. By
drawing the youth closer to the observ-
ances on our calendar, we secure an
assurance that their elders, too, will dis-

Heschel's Major Concepts
in 'Between God and Man'

Prof. Abraham J. Heschel is one of world Jewry's great
philosophers and is perhaps the most distinguished interpreter
of Jewish ethical values. His books have won acclaim from the
outstanding theologians of all faiths.
In "Between God and Man: An Interpretation of Juda-
ism," published by Harper, a noted scholar, Fritz J. Roths-
child has selected portions from the writings of Dr. Heschel
and has produced another epic work containing the most
important selections from Prof. Heschel's writings.,
Ably edited, this volume also contains a valuable intro-
duction by Rothschild, evaluating "the conceptual framework
of Heschel's philosophy."

Rothschild states that Heschel's exposition is "a mas-
terly synthesis in which elements from the whole of Jewish
religious tradition from the Bible, Talmud, Midrash, medi-
eval philosophy, Kabbalah, and Hasidism are welded into an
organic whole that is held together by the central frame-
work of his philosophy of religion."

"Between God and Man" is divided into five parts into
which are packed the gems from Heschel's writings. Com-
mencing with the explanation of religion as "an answer to
ultimate questions," the first part concerns itself with awe
and reverence, faith, revelation and numerous matters that
lead up to a "response through deeds" in the search for the
glory of God.
"Judaism," Prof. Heschel wrote, "is not a science of

nature but a science of what man ought to do with nature.
It is concerned above all with the problem of living . . .
Jewish law is, in a sense, a science of deeds. Its main con-
cern is not only how to worship Him at certain times but
how to live with Him at all times. Every deed is a problem;
there is a unique task at every moment. All of life at all
moments is the problem and the task."

The second part, entitled "The God of the Prophets,"
proceeds to delve into the problems of the worship of nature,
"how to identify the divine," the One God idea, prophetic
sympathy, and the divine pathos. In his discussion of "One
God," Dr. Heschel teaches us: "God is not partly here and
partly there; He is all here and all there . . . God is within
all things, not only in the life of man.

play the keenest interest in Jewish ob-
servances.
Passover this year carries with it the
usual challenges—that we help the needy
*
*
*
to observe the festival, by supporting the
Prof. Heschel, the mystic, proves practical in many of the
Mo'os Hitim fund; that we provide aid
to the downtrodden and dispossessed on essays incorporated in this interesting book. In the third part,
and His Needs," he deals with spiritual opportunities,
all occasions, through the Allied Jewish "Man
with freedom and also with the problem of needs and with
Campaign; that we retain an interest in the
illusion of human self-sufficiency: He admonishes us:
civic-protective efforts, to assure the per-
"Man is neither the lord of the universe nor even the
petuation of libertarian principles.
master of his own destiny. Our life is not our own property

but a possession of God. And it is this divine ownership that

Passover marks the anniversary of the makes life a sacred thing."
*
*
struggle of the martyrs in the Warsaw
The fourth part of the book is devoted to religious observ-
ghetto against their Nazi oppressors. On
the eve of the festival we will pay tribute ance. Dr. Heschel is the master of spiritual interpretation in
explanation of Kavvanah — the "attentiveness to God," "to
to these heroes. It is to be hoped that his
direct the heart to the Father in heaven." Religious behavior-
a capacity audience will attend the annual ism, religion and law, mitzvah and sin, the problems of evil,
commemoration of that tragic experience, the ecstasy of prayer and the holiness of the Sabbath are
which has been arranged by the Jewish among the topics that will inspire the reader.
Community Council for this Sunday eve-
In the final section of the book, "The Meaning of This
ning.
Hour," are included Dr. Heschel's views on "What Is Man?"
This is a busy season, and the idea and "Religion in Modern Society," and explanations on under-
of freedom is uppermost both on Pass- standing the Bible.
Rothschild performed an excellent task in condensing the
over and in preparation for the festival. several
by Prof. Heschel and to select from them the
May the Passover spirit bring joy to all meatiest books
portions which form the new book, "Between God
our communities.
and Man."